Hot Chocolate Cake with More Than Five Marshmallows #FoodNFlix

This month, for Food'N'Flix, Debra of Eliot's Eats is hosting. She asked us to watch The Holiday* and you can read her invitation here.

And I already shared my Gingerbread Marshmallows, but given that I watched the movie three times in the rental period - yes, really! - I was inspired to make a second recipe.

After telling the family about the movie over dinner, Jake actually agreed to watch it with me. So, I didn't ask twice...I just sat down and said I was ready. Dishes could wait!

In my Gingerbread Marshmallows post, I mentioned the scene in Graham's house when he serves Sophie, Olivia, and Amanda mugs of hot chocolate...with five marshmallows each.

 

Sophie: Daddy, she has more marshmallows than I do.

Graham: No she doesn't, you each have five.

Graham [to Amanda as he hands her a mug]: You have five, too.

Also, in the original ad that Iris places about the home exchange, she mentions hot chocolate: "A fairy tale English cottage set in a tranquil country garden. Snuggle up by an old stone fireplace and enjoy a cup of cocoa. An enchanting oasis of tranquility in a quiet English hamlet, just forty minutes from exciting London."

So I decided to whip up a hot chocolate-inspired cake with more than five marshmallows on the top. And I used yogurt in the cake and the frosting to cut the sweetness just a smidge.

Ingredients makes a double-layer 9" cake

Chocolate Yogurt Cake

• butter, for the baking pans
• 1¾ cup flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk yogurt
• 1½ cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
• ⅔ cup olive oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon coffee extract

 Chocolate Yogurt Frosting

• ½ cup whole milk yogurt
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon coffee extract
• 4 cups powdered sugar

Finishing

• marshmallows, approximately a dozen, but enough to cover most of a 9" cake

Procedure

Chocolate Yogurt Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter two 9" cake pans. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add together yogurt, oil eggs, sugar, and extracts. Whisk until smooth. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Use a spatula to combine until just moistened. 

Divide the batter between prepared pans, smoothing the tops with a spatula. Place pans on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes. The cakes will spring back if pressed lightly in the center.

Let cakes stand for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then remove from pans and invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Yogurt Frosting

Mix together yogurt, cocoa, and extracts in a large mixing bowl. Add in powdered sugar and beat until it forms a thick frosting.

Finishing

Place marshmallows in a single layer on a piece of foil. Place the marshmallows on a baking sheet and under the broiler for 1 minute. Set aside.

Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spoon half of the frosting in the center and gently spread to within an inch of the edge. Position the other cake layer on top of that. Spoon the remainder of the frosting on the top of the cake.

Spread the frosting to the edge and top the cake with the browned marshmallows.

Serve immediately...with a tall glass of milk!

If you are a blogger interested in joining the Food'N'Flix event this month, you have plenty of time to watch and get inspired into the kitchen.

*This blog currently has a partnership with Amazon.com in their affiliate program, which gives me a small percentage of sales if you buy a product through a link on my blog. It doesn't cost you anything more. If you are uncomfortable with this, feel free to go directly to Amazon.com and search for the item of your choice.